Lions Drop Dual Meet to Sharks in Season Opener

Oct 15, 2011

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's and women's swim teams squared off against Nova Southeastern in their season and conference opener, dropping to the Sharks in dual-meet action on Saturday afternoon at the Bowman Center Pool. The men fell to the reigning Sunshine State Conference Champions 132-73, while the women dropped to the Sharks by a score of 131-73.

The afternoon kicked-off on a high note, with the Green and Gold picking up dual victories in the 200-yard medley relay. Allison Cary, Sandra Stopczynska, Kaitlyn Hite, and Maggie Walker teamed up to win the first event of the day, bringing in a combined time of 1:53.06 to earn the top slot and finishing five hundredths of a second faster than the second-place relay combo from the Sharks.

The men reeled in their win in the 200 medley with a time of 1:37.69, thanks to Rhet Rheinlander, Chris Canene, Gabe Keown, and Tim Olson, who beat the competition by two tenths of a second.

Walker picked up a pair of victories to lead the women, earning top-place finishes with a time of 24.91 in the 50-free, and 55.20 in the 100-free.

Highlighting the men's squad was Michael Cozzi, whose time of 1:44.18 earned him a first place finish in the 200-yard free. The East Hampton, Conn. native also pulled in the top time in the 100-free, taking the heat with a time of 48.24.

Stopczynska opened her career at Saint Leo on a high note, touching with a time of 1:09:37 for a second-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, adding to her first-place performance in the opening relay. Also earning a second-place slot on the afternoon for the women was Hite, touching at the 1:02.85 mark in the 100-yard butterfly.

Four Lions earned second-place finishes for the men. Keown fared well in the 100-butterfly, picking up his second-place finish with a time of 53.81. Olson, earned his own runner-up standing in the 50-free, touching at 21.92, while Rheinlander took second in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.75, five tenths of a second under the leader. Canene rounded out the list or runners-up, finishing the 100-yard breaststroke at the 1:00.76 mark.

The Lions concluded the day with the 200-yard freestyle relays, with the men's combo of Keown, Carl Roycroft, Olson, and Cozzi finishing first with a time of 1:27.88. The women earned their runner-up finish with a time of 1:44.99, thanks to Cary, Bianca Muniz, Marquez, and Chloe Pellican.

The Saint Leo University swim team returns to action on Saturday, October 29, when they travel to Winter Park, Fla. to take on Sunshine State Conference rival Rollins College. Start time against the Tars is set for 1 p.m. For the latest news, updates, and information on the Lions, visit SaintLeoLions.com.